When Will I Be Loved?

So why ISN’T Linda Ronstadt in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? She sure had enough hit songs in the genre, and we’ll enjoy about half of them tonight. Perhaps it’s a random “haven’t gotten to her yet”, maybe it’s some sort of Brill Building distaste by the aging hippies in Cleveland, or maybe it’s that her career has spanned genres from folk music to country to show tunes to Punk. Pardon me, Ms. Ronstadt may be the best singer ever, but she is NOT punk. But what she is a great source for Ms Bagley’s powerful voice.

Ms. Bagley opens with “Different Drummer,” “No Good,” and “That’ll Be the Day” and then heads down an unusual path: we are asked to identify what products Ms. Ronstadt’s songs have plugged. That’s a certain mark of musical success – you are paid to sell out. As we wrap up the first act, Mr. Bagley joins his wife on stage and they tag team “Somewhere Out There.” He does have his own name, I just didn’t write it down. Now its refill time at Heather and Todd’s, and Ms. Bagley closes us out with the heart breaker “Blue Bayou.”

The second act advances us forward in career time, Ms. Ronstadt has settled into a Big Band and show tune phase. Highlights here include “Poor Wandering Mable” from “Pirates of Penzance,” “Falling in Love Again,” and a duet with house pianist Chris Leavy. One thing many of us may have forgotten is Ronstadt’s backing band from her rocking days went on to form “The Eagles.” Her selection here closed out this sparkling night, and “Desperado” never sounded so good.